GRAND STAGE Luke Littler’s draw revealed for Grand Slam of Darts debut as history-making transgender star faces two world champions
The 28-year-old part-timer – a sous-chef in her hometown of Beverwijk – will compete against men in a live PDC TV tournament for the first time having come through the Women’s Series. Qualifying also for the Paddy Power PDC World Darts Championship next month was the “ultimate middle finger” to “toxic b*tches” on the…
The 28-year-old part-timer – a sous-chef in her hometown of Beverwijk – will compete against men in a live PDC TV tournament for the first time having come through the Women’s Series.
Qualifying also for the Paddy Power PDC World Darts Championship next month was the “ultimate middle finger” to “toxic b*tches” on the circuit.
Ryan Joyce completes the quartet in that group following the draw which took place in Tamworth on Monday evening.
Luke Humphries, the world No.1, won this title 12 months ago in the Black Country, beating Rob Cross 16-8 in the final.
And Cool Hand Luke opens his campaign against Austrian Rowby-John Rodriguez over the weekend.
That group also includes Englishman James Wade and Mickey Mansell from Northern Ireland.
Luke Littler, the Premier League champion and biggest talent in the sport, is making his debut in the event at the Aldersley Leisure Village.
But the 17-year-old avoided the big names as he was drawn to take on Belgian Dimitri van den Bergh, Irishman Keane Barry and Lourence Ilagan from the Philippines.
Beau Greaves, the reigning women’s world champion, is in Group B.
She is joined by Danny Noppert, Martin Schindler and Scotsman Cameron Menzies – who is the partner of Fallon Sherrock.
Welshman Gerwyn Price has been a three-time Grand Slam champion but is missing from the field after failing to qualify.
Reigning champ Humphries has opened up on his “tough draw”, but is relieved to have avoided a Group of Death.
Humphries said: “You’re not going to get any easy draws, they are all there on merit.
“There could have been another group of players that would have made it an incredibly hard Group of Death but I have had that over the past two years.
I’ve got a tough game against James, he is a tough player to beat.
“Rowby-John has not had his best season but when he has been on the big stage he has played well.
“Mickey is always a dangerous player. I rate him as underrated, so I won’t be taking those players lightly, especially in a best of nine.
